The musings and works of Laura Stein

Category Archives: Shout out

Cats have dominated the internet for awhile now. They are the muses for countless memes, launched by the “I can haz cheezburger” Happy Cat. Which then inspired Ceiling Cat, Monorail Cat, Longcat, and the Invisible Bicycle. In 2013, a dour-faced cat named Tardar Sauce gained international fame, endorsements, a movie, and its own agents and lawyers. I have no idea who owns Longcat or Monorail Cat, who had their cult following, but everyone knows about Grumpy Cat.

Instragram is flooded with people who want to make their cats Internet-famous. Why do cats dominate the internet, especially when it seems most people in real life are “dog people?” I suspect it is because when people go out to walk their dog, they get lots of “real-life” likes from those who pass by. But most cats are indoors, and the majority of outdoor cats are unapproachable. Cats do not like to be led along on a leash. But their owners can share their darling fur-babies with an iPhone and and a couple social media accounts.

I love these cats so much that I want to share them with you. Some of these you may have already heard of, but some are less-followed.

This laid-back, patch-worked beauty with a permanent milk mustache has quite a following (100,000 followers). She keeps herself nice and plump to get through those cold Minnesota winters. Got milk to go with this adorable loaf of love?

Kyle, another milk-mustachioed feline, has not had it easy. He was part of a cluster of 30 cats that were abandoned when their owners were involved in a fatal domestic violence situation. On top of that, Kyle has several medical issues, such as persistent dandruff, missing teeth, partial blindness, and hip dysplasia. His most distinctive feature are his haphazard whiskers, which complement his white stache. This gives him that rough old man look, but you can see the kind heart beneath it. His owners are wonderful people who take care of him, and he is a “spokes-kitty” for domestic violence awareness.

Her silky, peaches-and-cream fur and striking emerald eyes cause many to deem her the most beautiful cat on the Internet. I have been following Smoothie for several months because she reminds me of my childhood cat (who was also a diva). Her likes have skyrocketed during this time, especially in the last month. She loves to show off her fluffy belly, and who can resist double-tapping that?

Michelle is a full-time cat-mommy to this “dirty dozen”, though how she keeps her place shed-free is beyond me. She adopted three chinchilla Persians, who ended up having nine babies that were too cute to give up. My personal favorite is the black one. What is most impressive is how well they get along and how they all eat together in a row. These kitties are getting rapid Internet notice-ability.

This multi-cat family from Japan is not as well-known, but this clowder of cuteness and unique name got my follow. These are 13 rescued cats. Most of them are black, with some silver kitties. This would probably be my life if my husband loved cats as much as I do. But in reality, I am not sure if I could deal with all the cat hair and litter boxes.

With that fluffy black belly and bold yellow eyes, Kooty might dethrone Smoothie as most beautiful Internet cat-diva. I admit that I have a special place in my heart for fluffy black cats because I have two of my own. Kooty bears a striking resemblance to my cat Musashi (below). Kooty is missing a few teeth, but smiles are overrated when you have eyes like that.

Puff is a golden-haired, teddy bear of a kitty who just wants to snuggle in bed, especially on Mondays. Who could blame him, as I know firsthand how stressful D.C. commuting can be. However, seeing this little cutie makes life a bit more bearable 🙂

Princess Monster Truck’s beauty stands in contrast to her trademark overbite. But the whole package works together to create a one cool-looking cat. She even has her own merchandise (T-shirts, etc.). You’d never know she was wandering the streets of New York all alone until her owners found her.

What I find most amazing about these kitties is how diverse they are in their beauty (my bias for fluffy black cats aside). For most, their attractiveness is reflected in their imperfections and unique features, rather than fitting into some cookie-cutter image. It’s a shame that human beings often cannot see this in ourselves and in each other, as there is often so much pressure to conform and hide our flaws.

At the end of the day, cats are cats. They don’t care what you think 🙂

Wow, has it been 6 months already?? Guess it’s time for the bi-annual update. This year has gone by remarkably fast, and a lot has happened. Some new art and photos have been posted.

The biggest major news is that I got engaged!! The love of my life proposed Feb 22, 2014 after a lovely and unseasonably warm day at the Smithsonian National Zoo, which was where we went on our first date just a year and change ago. After a week of being on Cloud Nine and the surreal-ness of it all, I have been getting down to brass tacks navigating the murky waters of wedding planning. I’ve come to the conclusion that wedding planning is a lesson in learned helplessness. Like Seligman’s poor dogs, no matter which side of the fence I jump on, I get shocked. For my perfectionist self, I have to take some time to breathe and just accept that things will go wrong…and I will hurt someone’s feelings (hopefully not irreparably ^^;;).

In case you’re wondering about a date, we’re getting married early April of next year. Hopefully it won’t be TOO cold up here…

On the professional front, I’m taking on more initiatives in the Special Libraries Association. I’m now chairing the Employment & Career Resources Committee for the DC Chapter. During this time, I have asked more than my fair share of stupid questions…as it’s my first time chairing a committee. We just wrapped up our first event of the year…Speed Networking. It’s like speed dating, but only slightly less awkward since you are meeting people on a purely professional level ;-). Shout out to my colleague Angela for her awesome write-up on the SLA Blog!

Time is approaching fast for the SLA Annual Conference in Vancouver. After meeting a dear Canadian friend, I head to the conference festivities and exhibit hall, where many free pens and vendor swag await. I will be co-presenting on my topic – learning management systems – on June 9. About a month ago, we found out we had 90 min instead of 60 (wow, they must really love us, haha)! Well, to not bore our audience with straight talking, my co-presenter and I decided last month to do a more informal panel discussion, so I have had to do some last-minute work on what I thought were my perfected slides…which I completed back in, like, January. When you are getting your first speaking opportunity at a national conference, you tend to get a little over-eager…not to mention SUPER excited to display my speaker badge!!!

My next post will cover my experience in Vancouver, as well as at the conference. This will be my second BIG conference…the first being the ALA conference that I attended a few years ago. Hopefully I will take to heart my lessons learned.

I am normally not one to circulate news about fundraising, but I really want to get the word out about my colleague and friend Deborah. Despite suffering for years from an auto-immune disease that has attacked her lungs, Deborah has always been an encouraging and positive influence during my studies at UNT and beyond. She is an inspiring and intelligent librarian and mother. Her catchphrase “Keep Hope Alive” has kept me sane during grad school and the ensuing months of job searching, and is something to be remembered for whatever trials I go through.

Deborah is currently raising funds for a lung transplant. In getting a transplant, she will not be dependent on oxygen and will have a better quality of life. The Georgia Transplant Foundation will match a $10,000 donation raised prior to receiving the transplant, which will cover medical expenses and treatment she will need during her recovery.

Her story and journey is captured in her blog at http://deborahgailsimmons.wordpress.com, and there is a PayPal link for sending donations. No amount is too small. And if you are unable to make a financial contribution, please keep Deborah and her family in your prayers.

I love ambient music. Something about it just speaks to the soul, and is able to take your mind to creative places…far, far away from all the hassles of the real world. It offers all the benefits of drugs, without the nasty withdrawal afterward.

Unfortunately, most mainstream radio stations do not play ambient music, but I have stumbled upon a great streaming radio station that I listen to every night before I go to bed: Still Stream. Still Stream has been on the air since 2005, and has several player options and a great selection of ambient music, with NO commercials. Plus, it is work-safe, though I am sure some co-workers give me strange looks when they are playing some more “avant-garde” stuff.

So if you are interested in ambient music, or want something soothing to listen to after a rough day, I highly encourage checking out this site.